The state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia will take place on May 15th. Since Corona, more and more citizens have voted by post. But how do you apply for the postal voting documents and how does it work exactly? All information can be found at FOCUS Online.
The election notifications for the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia will be sent out by April 24th. Eligible voters who have not received an election notification by then should contact their local electoral office, recommends state returning officer Wolfgang Schellen.
The state returning officer expects more postal voters than five years ago. “The number of postal voters has been increasing for a long time,” says Schellen. In addition, the number had already increased in the last federal election due to the corona pandemic.
The application for postal voting must be submitted by 6 p.m. on Friday, May 13 at the latest. Anyone who was prevented by illness can, in exceptional cases, submit an application for postal voting on election Sunday by 3 p.m. – however, the completed application must be received by 6 p.m. on election Sunday. The Ministry of the Interior recommends postal voters to request and send in documents in good time.
The state returning officer recommends posting the ballot letter by May 11 (Wednesday before the election) so that it is delivered on time. The post does not deliver on election Sunday. If you forgot to send the documents in time, you can put the documents in the mailbox of the responsible municipality.
Whether on the Internet, by post or in person at the postal ballot office – there are various ways to get the postal voting documents for the state election. However, voting documents cannot be requested by telephone. If the application is made by post or e-mail, an informal written application is sufficient.
If you go to the competent authority in person, you can vote by post on the spot and return the documents there.
Here you will find all information about the election in NRW: State election in NRW 2022 – Incorrect postal ballot documents sent in Brilon
If you have applied for the voting documents, you will receive the ballot papers and the official polling card a short time later. These two documents must remain separate when returning. This ensures that the ballot paper is not associated with the person.
The voter therefore receives several envelopes for the postal vote, the correct use of which is explained in the enclosed documents. The correct return address is already printed on the envelope.
You can read more about the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia on the topic page.
